Resources

The Charter School Act

In November 2012, voters approved Initiative Measure No. 1240 (I-1240) to establish charter schools in Washington state. I-1240 was codified in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) under 28A.710, also known as the Charter School Act. The Charter School Act outlines the powers and parameters of charter schools in Washington state. The Charter School Act also grants certain authority to authorized districts and a state authorizer (the Commission) to authorize and oversee charter schools.

On September 4, 2015, Washington state’s Supreme Court struck down the entire Charter School Act, putting the more-than-800 students enrolled in Commission-authorized charter schools at severe risk of their school closing.

On April 3, 2016, a new charter school law took effect (E2SSB 6194). The new law has been codified in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) under 28A.710 and is available for review here.

The Washington State Charter Schools Association (WACharters)

The Washington State Charter School Association (WACharters) is a nonprofit organization that was established to support the start-up of high-quality charter schools. WACharters aids in areas such as community and family engagement, school leadership development, and provides services to help charter schools launch and operate. WACharters is supported by local and national foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Foundation. More information about WACharters may be found here.